Orchard heater



W. C. SCHEU ORCHARD HEATER.

Filed July 5, 1922 Patented Aug.- 3, 1926.

WILLIAM C. SCHEU, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ORCHARD HEATER.

Application filed July 5,

This invention relates to an improved device for protecting orchardsfrom damage by frosts. It is particularly adapted to burn liquid fuelsof varying grades and qualities from the heavy crude oils anddistillates to the finer and lighter grades.

When damaging frosts and freezes occur during the blossom and fruitperiod and it becomes necessary to resort to artificial heat to protectthe trees from frost damage it is of the utmost importance that theheating devices be of such a construction that the consumption of fuelis so regulated and controlled through the medium of automatic andmanually controllable means that practically no smoke is produced.

Such a condition produces the maximum heat with the least consumption offuel, and where all of the gas generated from the fuel is consumed thereis a minimum of carbonaceous and asphaltic material or residue depositedaround the interior of the heaters to interfere with their perfect oeration.

The present invention embo ies a construction and controllability thatwill produce practically smokeless heat, from any burnable grade ofliquid fuel, for prolonged periods, with the minimum of care andattention and will hold and maintain uniform combustion as long as anyfuel remains in the heater.

One object of the present invention is to incorporate in the design andconstruction of an orchard heater an easy and reliable means forigniting the fuel in a battery of distributed heaters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional stack whereinthe generated gases are consumed, of such a construction that it willreadily telescope when the heaters are out of operation and which willin the act of telescoping tend to scrape and free the interior surfaceof the outer section of the stack from accumulated carbonaeous andasphaltic residue that may be deposited thereon through the operation ofthe heater.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional stack for anorchard heater having positive mechanical means for holding andmaintaining the stack in extended position, instead of depending onfrictional engagement. At times in the operation of orchard heaters, onaccount of extremely low temperatures, it becomes necessary to operatethe heaters at a maximum capacity of heat production, at which times themetal of 1922. Serial No. 572,784.

the stacks becomes quite hot and where friction joints are depended ontohold the stacks in extended position they sometimes fail and permitthe stacks to collapse on account of the uneven contraction andexpansion loosening the friction joints.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device located in oradjacent the air inlet opening, to'act automatically as a deflector orretardent member, whereby the gas generating flame at or near said airinlet opening isprevented from being wholly drawn away from saidopening, or from the surface of the oil, by the strong draft passingthrough the combustion stack and thereby a fire is maintained at oradjacent said air inlet opening at all times and during all conditionsof operation whether using a light or a heavy grade of fuel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater having a storm orrain shield separable therefrom during actual operation of the heater,and so arranged as to be easily applied when the heater is out ofoperation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the constructionand operation are made more manifest by a study of the drawingsaccompanying this specification and claims.

It will be observed that. like figures of reference apply to like partson the drawin s.

lin the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a heater embodying myinvention, set up as it would be for operation.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Figure3, looking in the direction of the arrows with the parts in likeposition to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan ,of the heater as set up in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional elevation on the same plane as Figure 2but with the parts in the positions of non-use and with, the storm coverenveloping the whole upper part of the heater.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section of the part of the heatercomprising the 'air inlet, ignition cup and flame deflector.

Figure 6 is a detail of the flame deflectorn opening 5 having anupturned flange 6 around'its edge to prevent water from running into theopening.

Arranged directly under the air opening 5 is an ignition cup 7 securedto the under side of the cover 2. This cup 7 has an annular recess 8extending around a central opening 9, the purpose of which is to form apocket or cup-for retaining a portion of ignition fuel for starting afire and the generation of gas within the heater. v

The edge of the annular recess 8 also acts as a support for a member 10of disc form and having a depending flame deflector 11 attached theretoand extending down into tle fuel receptacle to near the bottom there- 0Arranged over the air inlet opening 5 is a perforated plate 12 pivotedto the cover 2 and adapted to swing over the opening 5., Pivotedcentrally on the plate 12 is a shutter 13 having an elongated opening14, the shutter 13. is adapted to be turned on the plate 12 and exposethe openings therein as may be necessary to admit the air required tomaintain combustion in the gas generating space in the heater.

The sectional telescopic stack comprising a part of this invention ismade of two parts.

The lower section 3 is detachably secured to a flange 14 of the cover 2by means of clips 15 and engaging lugs 15.

The wall of this stack section is provided with openings 16 made bybending the metal of the wall adjacentthe openings outward, the drawingsshow the metal bent outward to give a smooth interior. This method ofproducing the air openings in the stack produces what I term a louvrecombustion stack.

This lower section 3 is provided with a reducing collar 17 secured toits upper end. Pivoted or otherwise movably secured'to" the outside ofthe collar 17 is a member 19 having a portion extending through anopening into the interior of the. stack.

The telescopic section 4 is adapted to pass within the section 3 when intelescopic position. The lower end of this section 4 is provided with anoutturned false wired edge 20 and its upper end with an outturned head21.

When the stack is extended the lower false wired edge stops against theinturn of the collar 17, and the inward extension of the member 19engages under the false wired edge 20 and holds the stack in extendedposition.

When the stack is telescoped as in Figure 4 the outturned bead 21 of theupper end of the stack 4 rests on the end of the reducing collar 17. I

It will be noted that the overall diameter of the falsewired end 20 ofthe stack section 4 is just slightly smaller than the inside diameter orthe stack section 3 so that when the section 4 is telescoped into 3 thefalse wired edge 20 will scrape'the interior of section 3 and remove theadhering carbonaceous and asphaltic residue deposited during operationof the heater.

Heretofore it has been necessary to take the stack off the heaters inorder to remove the residue, but with this improved arrangement the mereact of pushing the section 4 through section 3, cleans the interior of 3and scrapes the residue down into the bowl of the heater, it being thendumped out when the bowl is cleaned of its residue.

The storm and rain shield 23 is an ordinary conical hood large enough tocompletely enclose the stacks and cover of the heater, this hood isalways applied when the heaters are left standing in the orchard duringthe non-use season.

As has been previously stated, various grades and qualities of li uidfuel must be consumed at times hence 1t is necessary to provide meanswhereby a fire will be maintained in the heaters regardless of thequality of fuel being used, the only manual adjustment necessary, being,the regulation from time to time, of the air supply through the mediumof the air control members 12 and 13.

The feature in this invention that acts automatically in the control ofthe fire is the flat flame deflector 11.

I have here shown just a flat plate or finger extending from near theair inlet opening down to near the bottom of the bowl.

The function of this simple device is to offer just suificientretardation or obstruction to the movement of the flame adjacent the airinlet opening, to revent it from being drawn away from this location bythe draft from the stack.

When this type of heater is properl adjusted to suit the grade andquality 0 fuel being used, a roaring fire is maintained just at the airopening and reaching down and around the obstructive plate 11, to andacross the surface of the fuel toward the opening into the stack.

The ofiice of this intense fire, at and around the air.opening, is togenerate a gas from the surface of the oil, which gas as generated isbeing constantly drawn into the stack for consumption, and when thegenerating fire is properly maintained the necessary amount of gas iscontinually generated to maintain 1proper combustion in the stack andthe.

eater is consequently producing the maximum heat with practically nosmoke.

This whole situation is entirely dependent on being able to maintain aproper and sufficient generating flame adjacent the air inlet opening inthe cover.

The obstructive member 11 at this point should be only suflicientlyeffective to re vent the generating fire from being pu ed away from thespace adjacent the air inlet opening, otherwise the excess ,retarding effect of too much obstruction might seriously interfere with getting amaximum efficiency out of the heaters.

To start these heaters in operation it is only necessary that the plate12 over the air inlet opening, be swung to one side and a. smallquantity of burning oil, such as a mixture of gasolene and kerosene bepoured into the cup 8, it being understood that the stack has first beenadjusted to extended position.

This burning ignition oil is applied from a can having a long spout withan asbestos wick in the end, such as is well known by those skilled inthe art.

This burning oil will bubble over the edge of the flange 9 of theignition cup, and some will run down on the plate 11, and sometimes -11small bunch of excelsior is placed in the air opening and the burningoil poured on it, which will immediately ignite it.

The draft from the stack pulls the flame from the air inlet opening downinto the heater, over the surface of the oil, and in a few seconds gasbegins to form and pass into the stack where the air coming in throughthe openings 16 mixes with it and there is formed a combustive mixturewhich burns quite vigorously and smokelessly and produces an intenseheat.

Part of the generated gas of course goes to maintain the generatingflame adjacent the air inlet opening. As soon as sufiicient gas is beinggenerated to maintain the generating flame in the fuel receptacle andthe heating flame in the stack, the plate 12 is swung around over theair inlet opening and the shutter 13 is adjusted relative to the holesin 12 to give the proper quantity of alr necessary to maintain theintensity of fire desired.

At the beginning of operation with the heater nearly full of oil, lessair is required, but as the fuel is consumed, and the surface recedesdown away from the air inlet opening, the generating flame increases insize and needs more air. Then is when it becomes necessary to readjustthe shutter 13 to give the additional air required. This adjustment'isnecessary several times during the period that one filling of the bowlis being consumed. I

It is the practice where a number of heaters are in operation during acold night toapportion a given number of heaters to each of severalattendants who passes from one to the other and adjusts the air supplyas may be required to suit existing conditions.

With the problem solved of always maintaining a fire under variedconditions, which. is the result of my deflector, the operation of alarge battery of heaters becomes avery simple matter and can be attendedto by unskilled attendants.

It is" thou ht that my description herewith will ena le anyone skilledin the art to operate these heaters successfully, and while I havedescribed and illustrated the invention in its preferred embodiment I donot wish to be understood as confining or limiting the invention to theexactdetails'of construction and arrangement as shown, but wish to beunderstood as claiming the inventionas broadly as the state of the artwill permit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover thereforhaving an air inlet opening and a combustion stack mounted on saidcover, said combustion stack being made up of parallel sided telescopicsections, air inlet means in one of said Seetions to direct air into thesaid stack and pivotal means on one of said telescopic sections forengaging the other of said sections to hold said stack in extendedposition, an ignition cup adapted to hold a body of fuel separated fromthe body of fuel in said receptacle and an imperforate deflector meanslocated within said fuel receptacle adjacent said air inlet opening andmanually controllable means for regulating the supply of air to saidheater.

2. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover. thereforhaving an air inlet opening and a combustion stack, said combustionstack having air openings in its side wall for directing air angularlyinto the combustion space of said stack, means adjacent said air. inletopening for retaining a quantity of ignition fuel separated from thefuel in said receptacle and an imperforate deflector means arrangedadjacent thereto for diverting the flame generated adjacent said airinlet opening from a straight line path to said combustion stack.

3. An orchard heater for burning liquid fuel, comprising a fuelreceptacle, a cover therefor having an air inlet opening and a sectionaltelesco ic combustion stack comprising two stralght walled sections ofdiffering diameters and said stack having air inlet meanscomprisingopenings formed b bending a portion of the metal of the Wa lportion'and sliding within. the other said part, the said enlargedportion scraping the interior of said other portion to remove theresidue therefrom with separate mechanical means for holding said stacksections in extended position.

5. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover for saidreceptacle having air inlet means, an ignition device connected withsaid cover for facilitating the ignition of the fuel in said receptacle,an imperforate device suspended from said ignition device formaintaining a gas generating flame adjacent said air inlet in said coverand a combustion stack connected with said cover for consuming the gasesgenerated within said receptacle.

6. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover closing theopening into said receptacle, air inlet means in said cover, a flameretarding means comprising a flat imperforate plate suspended at saidair inlet means to assist in maintaining a gas generating flame at saidair inlet in said cover, an ignition cup secured adjacent said air inletand a stack extending upward from said heater with air inlet means inits side wall to admitair to support combustion within said stack.

7.. A telescopic combustion stack for orchard heaters comprising a lowerstationary section, an upper movable section, pivotally connectedmechanical means holding said sections in extended position, the uppermovable section having an enlarged portion associated therewith forremoving residue from the inside of the stationary section when movedwithin said section.

8. An orchard heater comprising a fuel receptacle, a cover therefor, airinlet means in said cover, an imperforate flame deflector meanssuspended under said cover at said air inlet means, said deflectorcomprising a member extendin toward the bottom of said receptacle and adisc member embracing the opening at said air inlet means, and havingmeans therein for admitting airv to said receptacle.

9. A combustion'stack for orchard heaters comprising a lower sectionhaving parallel sidewalls and a reduced opening at one end, an uppersection mountedito move loosely through the reduced opening in saidlower section, a pivotal holding device for maintaining said stacksections in operative position, and an enlarged portion on said uppersection to act as a stop against the reduced portion of said lowersection and to act as a scraping-arid cleaning member when moved throughsaid lower member.

In testimony whereof I herewith aflix my signature.

WILLIAM C. SCHEU.

